For the past two months, shepherds in Mexico have been reporting hundreds of identical attacks on their goats. Multiple goats are beheaded "in a strange way." Many are blaming the legendary chupacabra.

Inexplicata has a report on the sightings in Puebla and Guanajuato, Mexico:

Shepherds from various communities in Puebla State are frightened by the attacks to their herds. They suspect the presence of natural predator, a nahual (shapeshifter) or the Chupacabras. Authorities have combed the area.

Shepherds from Colonia San Martín, Los Reyes Metzontla and Cañada Ancha in Puebla State are frightened by the attacks on their flocks by either the Chupacabras, wild dogs or some other wild creature that they've been unable to hunt down, and which has caused the deaths of over 300 goats for some 50 days now.

Felix Martinez Hernández, president of Colonia San Martin, said that on August 14th at around 7:00 a.m., over 36 goats were found butchered in the Colonia San Martin strip, located 18 km south of the municipality. The presence of a predator, nahual or the Chupacabras is suspected.

People who live in the community explained that the phenomenon increased after the rains, and this led them to seek support from the authorities in dispelling the mystery, which has people frightened due to the cruel way in which the goats were dispatched.

Anacleto Enrique Montiel Barbosa spoke of his concerns, acknowledging his fear over what is occurring in Zapotitlán: In this community, in the southern reaches of the state, most families owning this sort of livestock have been affected.

According to Anacleto, he first heard gunshots originating on his terrain, where he kept over 120 goats in a pen, "supposedly secure". Upon reaching the site, he saw his fellow shepherd, Alvaro Mendoza, firing a rifle against some "dogs" that were fleeing the area.

Other residents arrived to see what was going on. They found that over 36 animals had been beheaded in a strange way and furthermore, without a single drop of blood in evidence.

Local authorities under commander Leonardo García Sánchez combed the area in order to find the goat slayers, but only managed to catch two dogs. The locals killed the dogs, opened them up and found that they did not contain any traces of goat blood or flesh. This caused them to recall the legend of the nahual.